US1382092A

US1382092A - Store apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1382092A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1921-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 1938-06-21

Description

C. KILMER.

STORE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1920.

1,382,092. Patented June 21, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET C/z arZes 1 5117117 e1 C. KILIVIER.

STORE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 311520.

r m mm mm M7 Lm 55 K1, nm 8 2 CH 7 Z 2 0 6 9w 1 z UNITED STATES CHARLES KILMER, 0F TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

STORE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

Application filed. July 3, 1920. Serial No. 393,868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHAnLns KILMER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and btate of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and attractive article of store furniture by the use of which goods which are sold in uniform packages may be conveniently displayed and dispensed. The invention seeks further to provide an apparatus for the stated purpose in which the goods will be delivered at the bottom of a column so that the goods first put in the display compartments will be the first to be withdrawn and deterioration of the goods will be avoided. Other incidental objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the description. I

In the accompanying drawings 7 Figure 1 is a perspective View of an apparatus embodying my invention, some of the vending compartments being shown empty while others are shown as filled with goods to be sold;

F ig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a base 1 which may be of any desired material and of any preferred form and is intended to be placed upon a counter or other fixed support so that the merchandise will be readily accessible. Within this base, T rigidly secure in any desired manner a post 2 which will preferably be constructed of tubing, as indicated in Fig. 2, and upon the upper end of this post I secure a collar or ring 3 provided with a closed top 1 having an annular raceway 5 in its upper side to receive anti-friction balls 6. The merchandise holder comprises a frame consisting of an upper plate 7, a lower plate 8 and vertically disposed braces 9 secured rigidly to and extending between the said plates. The lower plate 8 is provided with a central opening 10 whereby it may fit around the post 2, while the upper plate 7 1s intended to extend. across the upper end of the post and rest upon the anti-friction balls 6, as clearly shown, a retaining screw or headed pin 11 being inserted through a central opening 12 in the said plate and secured in the top 4 whereby the frame will be rotatably supported upon and about the post. The

plates

7 and 8 as well as the braces 9 are preferably constructed of sheet metal so as to be strong without excessive weight and the plates are preferably angular in outline so that the straight edge portions 13 will be presented against which the display compartments or merchandise holders 14 may rest and be held against turning. Adjacent each straight edge portion 13 of each

plate

7 and 8, a slot 15 is formed in the plate parallel with the adjacent straight edge portion of the plate. The holders for the goods are preferably stamped from sheet metal and comprise each a back wall 16 of such dimensions that it will bear against one straight edge portion of each plate. Near the upper end of the said back wall and above the lower end thereof, tongues 17 are struck therefrom and these tongues are bent upon themselves so as to extend downwardly substantially parallel with the wall 16 so that they may be engaged through the respective slots 15, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, and thereby support the display compartment upon the

plates

7 and 8. The side walls 18 of each compartment or vending holder are formed by bending forwardly the longitudinal edge portions of the blank from which the back wall 16 is formed and the extreme forward edges of the side walls are bent inwardly to provide retaining flanges 19, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. As shown most clearly in Fig. 1, the retaining flanges 19 terminate short of the lower ends of the side walls and a space, indicated at 20, is thus provided through which a package may be withdrawn. The back wall 16 is cut away at its lower end to produce an opening 21 through which the fingers of the salesman or other person may be brought against the rear side of a package supported at the bottom of the column and to provide a sup-- port for said package, the lower extremities of the back wall at each side of the opening 21 are bent forwardly to provide ledges or rests 22 upon which the ends of the package will bear as will be readily understood on reference to Fig. 2. It is intended that each compartment or vending holder shall contain two columns of packages as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2 and to separate these columns a guiding rib 23 is provided on the innerface of each side wall of the compartment. These ribs may be easily formed by making longitudinal incisions in the walls 18 and then striking inwardly the metal defined by the incisions as will be readily understood on reference to Figs. 2 and 3. The ribs 23 terminate short of the retaining ribs 19 at their lower ends so that the lowermost package of the rear column of oods may be withdrawn readily when the entire front column of goods has been sold. The lowermost package of the inner or rear column of goods is supported above the lowest package of the front column so that the fingers of the salesman or other person may readily pass under the rear column and engage the lowest package of the front column and to accomplish this end supplemental supports or stops are provided in the form of tongues 24L struck from the rear wall 16 adjacent each end wall and extending forwardly and downwardly toward the ledges22, as clearly shown. The tongues 24 are so shaped as to present a slight shoulder 25 immediately adjacent the back wall of sufficient area to support the packages but not so large that they'will interfere with the ready removal of a package. It will also be noted upon reference to 2 that the lower ends of the retaining ribs 19 are spaced from the ledges 22 a distance slightly less than the width of the package so that the lowest package will be prevented from falling through the open front side of the container. While T. have shown the display compartments in the accompanying drawings as open, it will be understood, of course, that covers may be fitted therein to prevent unwarranted extraction of packages through the top of the compartment, but such covers are not indispensable inasmuch a's-a bracing band 26 is secured across the front side of the compartment at the top of the same to pre vent spreading of the side walls and the presence of this band makes it exceedingly difficult to obtain a hold upon the upper package sufiiciently. firm to withdraw the same. To further guard against spreading of the side walls 18, a brace band 27 is secured across the front of the compartment at about the vertical center: of the same.

It is thought the use and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The device is illustrated as arranged for the vending of packages of chewing gum but by varying the dimensions of the parts the compartments may be adapted to display and facilitate the vending of cigarettes or any other goods which. are sold in uniform'packages. The display compartments are filled through their tops or upper ends, the packages being placed sidewise therethrough and permitted to drop to the bottoms of the respective compartments as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. 2. When a package has been sold, the salesman inserts a finger back of the package through the opening 21 of the proper compartment and exerts a slight pressure upon the lowest package which causes it to partly rotate about its own longitudinal axis so that its lower edge will pass from the ledges 22, its upper edge being thereby drawn under the terminals of the retaining ribs 19. As the package is withdrawn the packages superposed above the same will gravitate to the bottom of the compartment and the next sale. will be followed by delivery of a package which was previously above the lower ends of the ribs 19. When all the packages of the front or outer column have been sold, the packages in the inner or rear column may be withdrawn in the same manner, the lowest package in the column passing readily through the open front side of the compartment after pressure of the lingers has been exerted thereon to bring it clear of the shoulders 25.

The device may be readily produced at a low cost and will be effectual as an advertising medium inasmuch as the goods will be displayed in an attractive manner and a large quantity of the goods may be arranged in a small compass in such a manner that ready access may be had thereto when desired to complete a sale. The several vending compartments may be filled in a stock room and then placed in position upon the

plates

7 and 8 inasmuch as they are supported thereon merely by the engagement of the hooks or tongues 17 through the slots 15 of the plates and any particular compartment may be brought into position to deliver the goods therein by merely rotating the entire device about the central supporting post 2. The vending compartments or display holders are duplicates in construction so that they may he used interchangeably and if, through any accident or other cause, any one compartment should be so damaged as to be no longer useful a new compartment or display holder may be substituted therefor without requiring the provision of an entire new apparatus. lVhile the packages may be readily withdrawn by the salesman or the customer when directed by the salesman, scattering of the packages hrough careless handling and consequent loss of goods cannot occur inasmuch as only one package maybe withdrawn at a. time and the sightliness of the goods displayed is thus prolonged so that there is no decrease in the salability of the goods displayed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a supporting frame, and a display compartment carried by said frame and having an open front side and provided with means at its lower end for supporting columns of packages, one in front of another with the lowest package in one column in stepped relation to the lowest package in another column.

2. An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a supporting frame, a display holder carried by said frame, means at the lower end of the holder for supporting a plurality of columns of packages one in front of another with the lowest package in one column in stepped relation to the lowest package in another column, and means for retaining the packages in each column in superposed relation, said means terminating short of the lower ends of the respective columns whereby the lowest package in a column may be withdrawn, the holder being provided in. its back wall at its lower end with a notch to permit access to the bottom packages in all the columns.

8. A display holder comprising back and end walls, the lower end of the back wall being centrally cut away, ledges extending from the back wall immediately adjacent the end walls, supports projecting from the back wall between the end walls above the said ledges and extending downwardly to the ledges, and means on the end walls to retain the packages in superposed relation and permit the lowest package to be withdrawn through the front of the display holder.

4. A display holder comprising a. back wall, end walls, spaced retaining ribs eX- tending longitudinally on the end walls and terminating in stepped relation short of the lower ends thereof, ledges projecting forwardly from the back wall immediately adjacent the end walls, and tongues projecting forwardly from the back wall above said ledges and extending downwardly to the ledges.

5. A display holder comprising a back wall, end walls projecting therefrom, vertical retaining ribs on the end walls at the front edges thereof and at points intermediate their edges, said ribs terminating in stepped relation above the lower ends of the end walls, and spaced supports projecting from the back walls to support columns of articles in rear of the respective retaining ribs.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature;

ormnrns KILMER. 1 s.]